Work Experience: Klauer, Stapleton & Ernst Dubuque, Iowa 1978 - 1979, Associate
Dubuque Bank & Trust 1979 - 1983, Asst. Vice    President, Chief compliance Officer, Trust Officer
Intrawest Bank Boulder, Colo. 1983 - 1984 Trust Officer
Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, 1985 - present, Chief Deputy District Attorney

Family Information:  Mary Keenan is the mother of  two grown children.  They have lived in Boulder since 1982.

Hobbies:  She enjoys an active outdoor life including cycling, hiking and gardening.  She is also an avid reader.

Party Affiliation: Democrat

How have you been involved in the community?

In 1992 I co-founded the Child Advocacy Program.  We felt that kids were falling through the cracks the way we were treating them in the system.  Det.  Carolyn Roberts and Department of Social Services worker Maria Otrez started a Community Task Force on  Sexual Assault.  So it was really a collaborative effort between community and the law enforcement agencies. 

What civic, charitable organizations do you support?

Before I was a lawyer I was a teacher’s assistant for the developmentally disabled, mostly Down’s Syndrome.  Working with these people has become a passion of mine.  I started to become involved with people throughout the county who were either victims or defendants and were developmentally disabled.  From this I was asked to be on the board of Chester House, located in Lafayette.  We place adults and children in residences which will provide a kind, gentle environment. 

I am also involved with Community Learning Center, which is less than a year old.  It is a group of community people who are concerned with giving kids who are falling behind in their school work a supplemental place to go to come up to speed.  Chautauqua has given us a cottage and we are going to run the program out of that.

Why are you running for district attorney?  What skills do you bring to the office?
 
The biggest difference I make is working on a collaborative basis with other agencies in other systems to prevent crime and when crime does occur, is to help people who are victims of crime to make it easier for them to go through the system.

As District Attorney I would have more opportunity to make a difference in the community. To continue to help the District Attorney’s office collaborate with other agencies and organizations state wide and to help the system run better, but mostly to prevent crime.

What I intend to do if I am elected, is pretty much the same, especially in the areas of sexual assault and child abuse over the last eight or nine years.  I do have a background in business administration.  But I have also put together collaborative teams within the office and law enforcement and done training state-wide and have been a pretty broadly involved District Attorney in both the state and national system. 

I will try to make a system that is more efficient, organized and more responsive to the community.  I have an ability to bring people together to work together and to lead them in programs to help other people.  I think I have leadership skills that are pretty unique.

What is being done well under the current administration?

Alex Hunter started some programs that continue to be expanded.  Our victim advocate services are tremendous.  That came from him.  I also put some real emphasis on consumer fraud investigation.  He has been a very strong advocate of victims’ rights

He does not micro-manage.  He does not impose his system or rules on the individual deputy.  Within some pretty broad parameters, he allows people to do their jobs and he supports  progressive prosecutions.  When I started to take a very strong stance on acquaintance rape cases in the early ‘90s, he and Bill Wise were very supportive.  They have done that in other areas, like domestic violence. 
 
I think that is probably the best thing about Alex Hunter, that he has a good way about management.

What would you like to do differently if you were elected? 

The programs that he has started that I think are good, I would like to strengthen.  The consumer division  investigates 8500 complaints a year, which I think is a lot.  There is one full time equivalent employee, which is really two half time people and then volunteers.  The state people think we are doing a tremendous job with what we have, but that we could do even more for consumers in Boulder County if we put some more  resources into that area.

The second thing is to make the juvenile justice system within the District Attorney’s office a priority, to put a permanent chief in charge of that division and to have continuity and consistency in the juvenile area.  To have people in it who are not just on their way to somewhere else, but who are passionate about that area.  These are the people who will be the most effective, because these are the people who will make a real difference in juvenile crime prevention.  I think kids need, when they get caught, immediate consequences and follow through. 

Another area I would like to work with are the mentally ill, both in terms of perpetrators and as victims, but primarily as perpetrators.  A large proportion of those who are jailed have mental health
problems.  We could do a better job of making sure they 
are on their medications and monitoring their behavior so that they don’t commit crimes again.  A lot of times they get off their medications and start acting out. 

How will you implement new programs and policies? 

I have been meeting with people like Chuck Stouts of the Department of Health to try and get a handle on the programs they have and how the District Attorney’s office could assist them, and  Phoebe Martins from the Mental Health Department to talk about what arrangements are being made across the county on the issues of the mentally ill. 

I’ve met with Bill Ritter, the Denver District Attorney.   He was really promoting a program called Community Prosecutions.  Some of his prosecutors go out and make sure they know the issues in different parts of the community with regards to law enforcement prosecutions. 

We’re looking at the consumer program that Colorado Springs has put together.  They have a particularly good reputation for strong programs.

I’ve become involved with the restorative justice programs in Longmont.  This uses a community based sentencing alternative.  I participated in a circle with a juvenile who had shoplifted from a store.  The shop owner, the parents and three people from the community were there.  It involved talking to the juvenile about the impact on the community and coming up with some consequences that are meaningful in his life are positive things he can do. 

What lessons have you learned from the Ramsey case?

A good overall analysis of this high profile case has not been done in this office, to the best of my knowledge.  I think we need to start with an assessment.  What did we do right, what did we do wrong?  What could we improve on if this happens again? 

When a new person comes into an administration you can do that.  You can analyze your strengths, weaknesses and make changes.  For instance, what I look at in the Ramsey case is Mark Beckner.  I think that Tom Koby did a good job.  But when Mark Beckner took over, he assessed what was wrong, what was right and what he could do better.  He put his head down and went to work.  He is making real changes.  The Boulder Police Department is really improving in how they conduct their investigation and their follow-up.  That difference is showing in cases that are coming up now.

My personal opinion is that the media played too big a part and that people started paying more attention to what was being said in the media than what was warranted.  You have to communicate with the public.  You have to communicate with the media, but you can’t forget what your focus is.

You have to make sure that law enforcement and the District Attorney’s office understand their respective roles, respect each other’s roles and work together as a team.

How do you feel about plea bargains?

I want to do fewer plea bargains and more trials because that will enable us to raise the level of trials generally.  Plea bargains are an absolute necessity.  You couldn’t run the criminal justice system without them.  There are 2500 felony cases that come in here a year.  There are only court dates a year to do 200 to 250 trials and that’s packing them in at two a week.  We only have two criminal judges and we only have four days to try a case.  And that’s if they aren’t doing anything else.

Ten percent of your cases can go to trial, maximum.  Every district attorney plea bargains over 90 percent of their cases because they are under the same resource constraints we are.  When you don’t go to trial and you plea bargain a substantial amount over that 90 percent, then you lose your ability to get more competent plea bargains because the defense sees that your tendency is to plea bargain and not go to trial.

So in personal violence crimes, which are important to the community and law enforcement, I want to raise the bar on the level of bargains that we offer which will cause there to be more trials. 

Now we are at 97 percent of cases that are plea bargained, I think.  I am not sure of that figure.  I would have to check it out but the majority of our cases are plea bargains.  I want to bring it more in line with other district attorney’s offices across the state and especially in the metropolitan area.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

I think we have very good people and people who work very hard.  There are very few weekends when we don’t have half the staff in here working.  It would be a pleasure to lead this office.

Education:  Thompson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from John B. Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and a law degree from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Work Experience:  His legal experience includes over 50 criminal jury trials, including 12 death penalty cases.   Since 1984, he has taught a special “Trial Advocacy” course at the University of Colorado Law School and occasionally lectures on “Political Ethics” at Regis University. 

It was his first year in law school that introduced him to the mix of law and politics.  “The first year I was there (Florida State University Law School) I got to work for the legislature.  It helped me tremendously in law school.  I was an indexer.  My job was keeping up with every bill, and putting it into the computers so that a senator or representative, a press person or anybody could walk up to one of the terminals and get, Senate Bill 101 and find where it was and what had happened with it.” 

This early exposure would later prove beneficial when the State Speaker of the House asked him to serve as legal counsel on the Criminal Justice Committee and later the Select Committee on Organized Crime for the Florida House of Representatives.  He later became a City Council Member and eventually Mayor of Tallahassee, Florida. 

Family Information:  Ben Thompson brought his wife, Bobbie and two children, Ben and Brandy, to Boulder in the late 1970’s.  Their son and daughter-in-law Sara live in Longmont while their daughter, Brandy and son-in-law, Greg live in Erie with their two children.  “We now have three generations of our family all living right here. We’re very pleased with that.”

Party Affiliation:  Democrat

How have you been involved in the community?

“I represented the National Sierra Club as Trial Counsel  and am currently on the Colorado Sierra Club’s Legal Advisory committee.  I am still involved heavily in the Sierra Club on the Rocky Mountain Region Advisory Board.  We recommend to the Sierra Club which lawsuits to get in and which to get out of and what to do.”

What civic, charitable organizations do you support?

 Thompson has served on an Historic Preservation Board, the Open Space Committee of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, the Pine Brook Hills Volunteer Fire Department and was twice president of the Boulder Valley Rotary.

Why are you running for District Attorney?

 “There are four reasons why I decided to run.  My number one reason dates back several years and that was juvenile reform.  It’s hard to get people fired up about juvenile reform, but if I am elected it will be a high priority and I will work on it.  I am going to create a special department of juvenile law. 
The other three things get more attention.  I think the rift between the police department and the D.A.’s office is substantial and I don’t even think the D.A.’s office knows it’s there.  I want all of the D.A.’s to ride with a police officer at least once a month.  I think the public’s perception that the number one issue is the Ramsey case is not correct.  The number one issue is our rift.   The Ramsey case is the tip of the iceberg.  The Ramsey case, for the first time, put the focus on the D.A.’s office and all of a sudden this became public.   The next problem, which is associated with the rift and the Ramsey case, and all the other cases, is the excess of plea bargaining.  The number three problem is the Ramsey case and cases like it.  Major cases where they just don’t aggressively pursue.  I use the Ramsey case as one example but you have to understand there are other cases I feel just as strongly about. 

In the Ramsey case, I have done enough research that I have formed an opinion that there should be an arrest.  People say that’s a publicity stunt but I’m not the average citizen as it relates to law enforcement. 

For a year, I’ve talked to detectives, I’ve talked to police officers, I’ve talked to sheriffs, deputy sheriffs and chiefs and witnesses and victims and I’ve talked to suspects in the Ramsey case.  People in Burnt Fork, Georgia know who killed Jon Benet.  People in London know.  I think the outrageous thing here is that the District Attorney’s office hasn’t done anything.“

What skills / experience will you bring to the office?

 Today, Thompson is chair of the Juvenile Reform Committee.  He was also elected to the City Commission and served as Mayor of Tallahassee, Florida. While in Tallahassee, he was appointed Legal Counsel for the House Select Committee on Organized Crime and served as Legal Counsel for the Criminal Justice Committee. Thompson also serves as a Facilatator in the Longmont Community Justice Partnership.

What is being done well under the current administration?

 I really think that in about two-thirds of the cases (handled last year by the D.A.’s office) plea negotiations really work.   I’m not worried about those two-thirds.  What I’m worried about is when I hear the statistics about murders, robberies and rapes that don’t go to trial. 

How will you implement new programs and policies?

Thompson plans to modernize the current computer system even if it takes removing current ones and starting all over, including hardware and software.  He would also like to stop keeping state prisoners in our jail.  “Forty percent or more of our jail population is in for drug and alcohol related problems and the mentally ill.”  He calls for monthly reviews for classifications of release to Day Reporting Centers, Adult Diversion Programs, three quarter and half way houses, and Alternative Sentencing Programs while at the same time keeping serious offenders away from the public.  Thompson is also a strong advocate of restorative justice programs.  “In the current system, a person is arrested, they go to court, they’re humbled, they get fined and they get put on probation.  They wind up being one of three hundred people with one counselor.  The recidivism rate is somewhere around 97 percent. 

Take that same person and put that person in a restorative justice situation and it’s a whole new concept.  First, there’s no criminal record.  The victim gets to talk to the offender.  The offender gets to talk to the victim.  The offender gets to say, ‘This is what I think is appropriate to restore the harm and to make me accountable.’  Most of the time, what is decided among the panel is more severe than anything that would have happened in the court system.  And the recidivism rate is only 7 percent.”

What lessons should be learned from the Ramsey case?

 “That turnover is good.  That change is good and that sometimes we in the political arena have to do what is right rather than what our political futures or our political careers will dictate.  That’s what we should learn from this.  We should pay more attention. “ 

How do you feel about plea bargains?

 “I can give you two statistics that are shocking.  The first is, in a ten-year period, from 1989 to 1998 there were 57 homicides in Boulder County.  Of those 57 homicides, five were brought to trial.  There is no other jurisdiction in the United States with less cases that go to trial. 

The next one that’s really shocking is in 1999 there were 9,000 cases filed in the District Attorney’s office.  Of those 9,000 cases, less than one percent went to trial.  Thirty felony jury trials occurred in Boulder County in 1999.  Just thirty. I know national press and national book publishers have tried to find some jurisdiction that tries less than one percent of its cases and we’re the only one they have been able to find.  Every week we read about another murder case or serious case where the person got less than somebody who is a burglar.”

General background information: 

Dave Sanderson was born in Philadelphia in 1963.  In 1985, he graduated from Pennsylvania State University, having studied business, politics, and economics.

In 1988, Sanderson graduated from Fordham Law School located in New York City.  After graduation, he worked as a trial lawyer in Manhattan working with banks and security companies.

In May 1991, Sanderson and his wife, Andrea, moved to Boulder where he opened his own trial law firm.  During the past 9 years, Sanderson has been practicing trial law in 22 judicial districts and in federal court throughout the state of Colorado.  He specializes in civil rights and criminal law cases.

Sanderson lives in Gunbarrel and has a 2-year-old daughter named Paige and a 5-year-old son named Jared who plans to attend Heatherwood Elementary School in the fall. 

Hobbies:  In his spare time, Sanderson enjoys skiing, fly fishing and camping with his family and his golden retriever, Lucy.

How have you been involved in the community? What civic, charitable organizations do you support?

Sanderson serves on the Board of Directors of Boulder’s Developmental Disabilities Center and has provided free legal service litigating various cases for disadvantaged individuals.  Sanderson encourages others in his firm to provide free legal service to those who are disadvantaged.

Sanderson is also a member of the Foothills Group Home.

What is begin done well under the current administration?

Sanderson feels that the only thing doing well under the current administration are felons.  He feels that felons in Boulder County do not fear prosecution.  Sanderson also gives Alex Hunter credit for stepping down. 

What would you like to do differently?

“It is time for a meaningful change.” stated Sanderson.  He would replace the three “Ds” with the three “Rs.”  He would like to reform the Boulder DA’s office, revitalize the business of prosecuting cases and restore peace of mind to our community.

He plans to emphasize merit over seniority in promoting lawyers.  Sanderson plans to remove the “bargain” from plea-bargaining, giving up only those conditions necessary to secure a just result.
 According to Sanderson, “I will work with law enforcement, beginning by hiring former officers as proactive investigators in a new, stronger DA investigation unit.”

Sanderson plans to focus on crimes that are more serious and serious criminals and rechannel the resources necessary to serve all of Boulder County.

How will you implement new programs and policies?

Sanderson states a thorough and long-overdue review of personnel, policy and procedures is long overdue.  Once this has been accomplished, he plans to cut the fat and make the necessary changes. 

He will require all attorneys in the DAs office to try a variety of cases.  “I will increase training, communication, feedback and coopera-
tion between Deputy DAs and 
law enforcement.” stated Sanderson.  By maximizing cooperation between law enforcement and the DA’s office, authorities will be able to build stronger cases faster.

Sanderson also states he will “improve service to all Boulder County.”  He plans to emphasize crime prevention, create an aggressive protection division, require criminals to repay victims and build the quality of victim/witness assistance.

Most importantly, Sanderson intends “to make change.”  He stated, “No other candidate will do that.”

What lessons should be learned from the Ramsey case?

“I believe that the Ramsey case is symptomatic of the way the office operates” stated Sanderson.  “It was the ‘Pearl Harbor’ for Boulder County’s DA Office.”

According to Sanderson, “The DA’s loss of trust in his own long-time lawyers was proven by the decision to hire outside lawyers to handle Ramsey.”

Sanderson stated that with new eyes, vision and energy, he will carefully review the evidence of the Ramsey case.  He stated, “If the case can be solved, we will proceed. If not, I will make a full accounting to the people of Boulder County and move on with the quiet business of prosecuting cases.”

How do you feel about plea bargains?

As previously stated, Sanderson plans to remove the “bargain” from plea bargaining, giving up only those conditions necessary to secure a just result.  Due to his extensive experience in criminal law, Sanderson says he know how criminals think, understands what motivates them and what moves them.  He stated, “They give away the farmhouse when the outhouse would have been accepted.” 

Sanderson remarked that “plea bargains are a result of an overworked justice system.”  Consequently, plea bargains are necessary. 

Is there anything you would like to add?

Sanderson stated, “The Boulder DA’s office has been run by the same people since Richard Nixon was president.  A quarter century is too long, and in view of its problems, the shop-worn, tired and closed ways of our current DA regime must go.”

“I want to stop criminals from other counties from preying on our citizens,” stated Sanderson.

From 1990 to 1998, the median age of citizens in Boulder County has increased and the city growth has increased 13 percent.  During this time, Sanderson stated, “drug crimes have increased 200 percent, sexual crimes have increased over 150 percent, weapon crimes have increased 150 percent and arson is up 35%.” 

“In an area where the median age is increasing, the majority of people are highly educated, these statistics are alarming. Theft crimes and burglaries are disproportionate.”  stated Sanderson.  “The bottom line is criminals do not fear Boulder.”  He stated, “The gangs in Denver come to Boulder to carry out their gang initiations.  Although they acknowledge the risk of getting caught, they do not fear significant prosecution.”

In the past 30 days, Sanderson claimed that 250 serious crimes had been committed in Boulder County.  “Whatever they (the DA’s office) are doing, it is not preventing crime.”  Sanderson stated, “My new and improved DA’s office will work to prevent crime.” 
 In closing, Sanderson vows to “represent the people of Boulder County fairly, effectively and professionally.”

Work Experience: Trip DeMuth has worked in the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office since January 1984.  He started prosecuting felony cases in 1986, and became the office specialist on violent crimes in 1995 and was promoted to Senior Trial Deputy in 1996. 

In October, 1995 Demuth was named Boulder County “Employee of the Month” for his efforts in the Kevin Dockter murder case.  On May 2, 1996, he received the Boulder County Bar Association “Outstanding Young Lawyer” award.

DeMuth has served on the Boulder County Bar Association Professionalism Committee since 1992, and he was a member of the Board of Directors for the Boulder County Bar Association from 1995 to 1997.

Demuth has been intimately involved in the prosecution of many of Boulder’s high profile criminal cases, including the Duct Tape Rapist, Michael Bell and the Gunbarrel Burglar.  He also served as lead prosecutor assigned to the JonBenet Ramsey murder from December 1996  to September 1998. 
Personal History: DeMuth was born in 1958 in Denver, Colorado.  He graduated from Colorado State University in 1980.  He is also a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law.

Demuth has been married to Sue DeMuth since 1982.  They have twin daughters, Tara and Tasia, who are eight-years-old.  They have lived in Louisville, Colo. since 1985.  They have an Alaskan Malamute named Kaila.

Family Information:  The DeMuth family has long-term ties to the Boulder community.  His grandfather, Lawrence DeMuth, Sr. was dean of University of Colorado School of Law.  His father, Lawrence DeMuth, Jr., was Vice-President and General Counsel for US West until he retired. 
Hobbies: His hobbies include running marathons, snow shoeing, mountain climbing, snow and water skiing.

How have you been involved in the community?

Through the Bar Association.  For more than eight years I have been active on committees.  The Bar Media Committee, Awards and Young Lawyers Committees.  Most recently I was on the Boulder County Bar Board of Directors.

What civic, charitable organizations do you support?

I support the church in which my family participates.

Why are you running for District Attorney?

Because I believe the DA needs to be committed to justice.  By that I mean not simply advocacy and trial skills. The DA should seek justice, do the right thing.

What skills/experience will you bring to the office?

My experience is 16 years of prosecution of crimes of all types.  From homicide to jaywalking.  I have worked in the DA’s office for 16 years.

What is being done well under the current administration?

The current administration lets me seek justice, try to do the right thing in each of my cases.

What would you like to do differently?

Work more proactively with the police department and the community.  Joint training with the DA’s office and the Police Department are essential.

How will you implement new programs and policies?

I would create a restorative justice victim/offender/community panel.  Working together they would decide on how the perpetrator should make amends to the victim.

I would create a prevention through education task force.  This task force, consisting of minorities and officials, would study racial profiling of minority citizens.  This is a concern of minorities.  The task force would be charged with finding solutions, if needed.

What lessons should be learned from the Ramsey case?

We should not talk about ongoing cases with the media.  There have been no new efforts in joint (DA and police) training since the Ramsey case.

How do you feel about plea bargains?

The most serious cases should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  On some level plea bargains are a necessity.  There are eight or nine deputies.  They handled 2,000 cases last year.  Some cases should not be plea-bargained.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

The measure of success (in the DA’s office) is the success of the justice done, not the number of trials completed.  A trial is a means (of determining justice), not the sole determining means of obtaining justice.